Country Breakfast Bowls (freezable)

If you’ve been following the blog for a while, then you know how I love “make ahead” breakfast dishes that I can keep in the fridge or freezer and then microwave really quickly in the morning (hello, baked oatmeal).

Well, I was watching TV the other day and saw a commercial for some big brand breakfast bowls that are sold in the freezer aisle, and was all like, “I can totally make that!” So, I did.

My breakfast bowls start with a bed of seasoned, roasted potatoes, and then are topped with a little salsa, scrambled eggs, and cheese. You could add some sautéed breakfast sausage or crumbled bacon, if you want, I just didn’t happen to have any on hand (both bacon and sausage freeze well). I wish I would have thought about green onions, because they would have been fantastic on this.

So, make a batch of these on Sunday night and you’ve got breakfast covered for the week. Keep them in your refrigerator or freezer until you wander into your kitchen all bleary-eyed from sleep, then just pop one in the microwave until it’s hot and you’re golden.

And who says you have to eat this for breakfast? NO ONE. I ate one for lunch today at work. ;D

Country Breakfast Bowls

Country Breakfast Bowls (freezable)

Country breakfast bowls combine seasoned and roasted potatoes, salsa, scrambled eggs, and cheddar cheese. Make them now and freeze for later!

Total Cost
$7.76 recipe / $1.29 serving

Prep Time20minutes

Cook Time1hour

Total Time1hour20minutes

Servings6

Ingredients

3lbsrusset potatoes$1.67

1Tbspolive oil$0.16

1tspsmoked paprika$0.10

1/2tspgarlic powder$0.03

1/2tspsalt$0.03

Freshly cracked pepper$0.03

9large eggs$1.49

2Tbspbutter$0.29

1 1/2cupssalsa$1.49

1 1/2cupsshredded cheddar cheese$1.94

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and cut the potatoes into one-inch cubes. Place the potato cubes in a large bowl and add the olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. Toss the potatoes until they are well coated in oil and seasoning.

Line a baking sheet with foil and give it a light spritz of non-stick spray. Spread the potatoes out over the baking sheet so they are in a single layer. If they don't fit, prepare a second baking sheet and divide the potatoes between the two. Roast the potatoes in the preheated oven for 45min to one hour, or until they are tender and golden brown. Stir the potatoes once, about half way through.

When the potatoes are close to being finished, crack the eggs into a large bowl and gently whisk them. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. When the butter is melted, pour in the eggs. Gently move the eggs around the skillet until they are mostly solid, but still moist in appearance. Be careful not to over cook the eggs at this point because they will cook further upon reheating the breakfast bowls.

To prepare the bowls, divide the roasted potatoes between six freezer safe containers. Add 1/4 cup of salsa to each container. Divide the scrambled eggs among the six containers and then top with about 1/4 cup of shredded cheese.

Chill the bowls in the refrigerator before transferring to the freezer. Or, leave them in the refrigerator if you plan to eat them within 5-6 days.

Step by Step Photos

Begin by preheating the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and then cut the potatoes into one inch cube. Season the potatoes with the olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. Toss the potatoes until they are well coated in the seasoning.

Spread the potatoes out over a baking sheet covered with foil. Because I didn’t use a lot of olive oil when seasoning the potatoes, I added a little non-stick spray to the foil to prevent them from sticking. If your potatoes don’t fit onto your baking sheet without them piling up on top of each other, use two baking sheets.

Roast the potatoes for 45 minutes to one hour, or until they are tender and golden brown on the edges. Stir them once half way through.

When the potatoes are almost done, begin to cook the eggs. Lightly whisk the eggs in a bowl. Melt two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat.

Cook the eggs until they are mostly solid, but still moist. You want to avoid over cooking the eggs at this step because they will inevitably cook further when the bowls are reheated. Just gently move the eggs around in the skillet as the bottom layer sets. Avoid over stirring or you’ll end up with dry, pellet like eggs.

Now it’s time to build the bowls. I only have five here because I was also building one in an actual dish to photograph (and to eat!). Divide the potatoes among six containers. These little roasted potatoes were so good that I ate at least a cup of them before making the bowls… I couldn’t stop popping them into my mouth.

Next, add about 1/4 cup of salsa to each bowl. Salsa is optional, I just LOVE salsa with eggs.

Then add a scoop of eggs to each bowl.

And lastly, add some shredded cheese on top. Like I said, I wish I would have topped this off with some green onions, too. If you want, you can cook up some breakfast sausage or bacon and add that into the bowls. Ham and bell peppers would also be a nice combo!

Frozen foods maintain better quality if you refrigerate them until they’re completely cool before freezing. They don’t form big, destructive ice crystals that way. So, pop them in the refrigerator and then later on transfer whatever you think you won’t be able to consume within 5-6 days into the freezer.

226 comments on “Country Breakfast Bowls (freezable)”

I find the potatoes have a good texture after reheating. The eggs however seemed to have the texture of hamburger after microwaving. I make the bowls to include everything except the eggs, then I just heat the eggs in a separate dish at the same time.

These are really easy. My husband used to get the Jimmy Dean kind but once I started making them he decided mine were better. I like that I can control how much salt and fat that go into them. I heat these up in the morning and then wrap them up in a tortilla to make them a little more portable. I love these. Thank you for sharing!

Hmm, I’m not sure how these would do when reheated in the oven. I think if you did, you’d need to make sure to cover them tightly with foil so they don’t dry out. The oven takes so much longer to reheat than the oven that you’ll likely have a lot of evaporation. The eggs may also overcook. I’m not sure how long it would take, either.

I find that they do, but after blogging for so many years I’ve learned that some people are really sensitive to the texture changes that happen when potatoes are frozen then reheated. I personally don’t notice any change at all, but some people find them mealy.

I love this recipe. My husband is a fan of the jimmy dean version, and he says it’s just as good….probably better, because the potatoes stay crispy. He’s a super picky eater. Thank you for the awesome idea. And the potatoes are wonderful. I make them by themselves for breakfast, dinner, or whenever and there is never leftovers.

Hi! I’m Beth

As a food lover and a number cruncher I've decided that cooking on a budget shouldn't mean canned beans and ramen noodles night after night. Join me for delicious recipes designed for small budgets. More »